Monitor Your Course

06 Wednesday Feb 2013

Posted by creatingahealthylifestyle in Healthy Body

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Adjusting Eating and Exercise, Body Weight, Eating Well, Health, Healthy Body, Healthy Lifestyle, Monitoring Health, Monitoring Weight, Physical exercise, Sleep, specific weight, Weight Loss

When traveling by car, boat, airplane or space craft, the driver or pilot must monitor the course and make adjustments as necessary. We can apply this same principle to our bodies; our health and our weight.

If we pay good attention to how our bodies feel, we can tell when we are hungry, tired, or rundown. These signals cue us to eat, get more rest or sleep, and take better care of ourselves.

If you are interested in decreasing your body weight or maintain a specific weight, one way to monitor how you are doing is to weigh yourself every day or two. The scale will let you know if you need to make adjustments to your eating or physical activity. Another way to monitor your weight, but not as precise, is by how your clothes fit.

What other ways do you monitor your health?

Love, Health & Happiness,

Phyllis

Prevention Pays Off

15 Tuesday Jan 2013

Posted by creatingahealthylifestyle in Healthy Body

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apple cider vinegar, Common cold, Cough, Daily Movement, drinking apple cider vinegar, Eating Healthy, Fever, Flu Symptoms, Health, Healthy Body, Healthy Lifestyle for Prevention of Colds and Flu, living a healthy lifestyle, Meditation, Mild Case of Illness, Prevention, Sleep, Sneeze, Sore throat, Washing Hands, Water, Whole Grains

Last week I was sick for a few days. It started with some sneezing and a runny nose. The next day I had a fever of 101 degrees for less than 24 hours, and by the fourth day I was just about back to my healthy self!

There is a virus going around and I attribute the “mild case” I had to living a healthy lifestyle of eating an abundance of vegetables, along with some fruit and whole grains. In addition, I meditate daily, drink lots of water, get some daily movement and go to sleep early. See last weeks post “Please Take Care of Me,” for more details about prevention.

By comparison, other people I know who have been sick with similar symptoms have had a sore throat, bad cough and higher fever, lasting for days. About a week before I developed any symptoms, I had begun drinking apple cider vinegar, one tablespoon in 6-8 ounces of water each morning for the health benefits. I never had a sore throat or a cough, and during the days I felt sick, I increased the drink to 2-3 times a day.

Do all you can this year to stay healthy, including frequently washing your hands!

Love, Health & Happiness,

Phyllis

Please Take Care of Me!

08 Tuesday Jan 2013

Posted by creatingahealthylifestyle in Healthy Body

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Airborne, Alternative Health, apple cider vinegar, Boost Your Immune System, Boost Your nutrition, Chronic Symptoms, Cold and Flu, Cold Symptoms, Emergen-C, Emotional Stress, Health, Healthy Body, Immune system, Lower Stress, Meditation, Prevention, Reiki, Sleep, Staying Healthy, Strengthen Your Immune System, Stress, Throat lozenge, Water

Winter is in full swing and for some people it is a time of getting sick or fighting off symptoms. While we may not be able to avoid being exposed to germs, there is a lot we can do to strengthen our immune system so that we don’t get sick, and if we do, it is short-lived.

If you are experiencing low-grade chronic symptoms, especially runny nose, mild sore throat, stuffed up head and feeling tired, it’s your body’s way of saying, “Please take better care of me.”

Here are some suggestions:

1. Get some extra sleep by going to bed earlier.

2. Drink plenty of water, and tea, hot water with lemon and honey, apple cider vinegar in water, or clear vegetable or chicken broth. Sip on liquids throughout the day to flood those germs out!

3. Boost your nutritional intake by eating fruit, vegetables, lean protein and whole grains, while eliminating or significantly decreasing the amount of sugar you consume.

4. Take nutritional supplements, vitamin c, Airborne, Emergen-C, use cough drops.

5. Lower stress with meditation, yoga, a warm bath, etc.

6. Increase circulation with movement, exercise, walking, etc.

7. Reduce emotional stress by processing and releasing sadness, grief, loss, fear, anger and resentment. Journal, draw, use visualization, prayer, or talk with a trusted friend or professional.

8. Try a massage, acupressure, acupuncture, or Reiki.

If you are sick or have had chronic symptoms, it may be wise to visit your doctor and get a check-up with a blood test to assess what is going on and to rule out any deficiencies.

Love, Health & Happiness,

Phyllis

Put Your Oxygen Mask On

11 Tuesday Dec 2012

Posted by creatingahealthylifestyle in Healthy Body, Healthy Eating, Healthy Mind

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adequate sleep, Basic Needs, Breathing, breathing exercises, Creating a Healthy Lifestyle, Eating Well, fruit vegetables, Health, Healthy Lifestyle Habits, Healthy Snacks, Meditation, Mental health, Oxygen mask, Relationships, Self care, Sleep, Water, Whole Grains

Creating a healthy lifestyle is like putting on your oxygen mask on. When we take care of our basic needs we have so much more to give, making us better partners, better parents, better friends, better employees or employers, and just better human beings.

Let’s start with breathing. Take a deep breath. Breathing is one way to calm our nervous system, reduce stress and restore clearer thinking. Meditation or breathing exercises that include slow deep breaths are like putting on an oxygen mask.

Next to breathing, eating well and often enough are vital for your body. When we get too busy it’s easy to choose something quick to eat that may not be very good for the functioning of our body. Aim for more fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and remember to hydrate with plenty of water. For snacks, apples, pears and almonds are quick and easy to eat at home, when traveling, at work, or when out and about.

Sleep is vital. In fact, it may be one of the most important things you could do for your body. Getting adequate sleep allows for regeneration, repair and healing of your cells. Sleep also affects your hormones that and regulate your body systems and everything from mood to weight.

Without your oxygen mask on you can’t respond to an emergency, yet alone daily life.

Love, Health & Happiness,

Phyllis

Have You Found The Lifestyle That Works For Your Body?

09 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by creatingahealthylifestyle in Healthy Body

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Deep Breathing, Feldenkrais Method, Healthy Body, Healthy Diet, Healthy Lifestyle, healthy-living, maintaining weight loss, Meditation, Metabolism, Movement, Obtain and maintain a healthy body weight, Physical Activity, Prevention of Diet Related Diseases, Relaxation, Sleep, Water, Whole Grains, Yoga

Many components make up a healthy body, including what we eat and drink, how much we sleep, some physical activity and relaxation.

Let’s look at each one:

1. What we eat and drink: A healthy diet, made up primarily of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds and lentils has been shown to prevent and reverse diet related symptoms and diseases. Also, since our bodies are made up mostly of water, it makes sense to make this our “beverage of choice.”

2. Sleep: Recent research has shown how important sleep is for our basic functioning and the ability to reach and maintain a healthy body weight.

3. Physical Activity: Movement helps with circulation, burning calories, increasing your metabolism, building agility, stamina and strength. It can also improve mood, blood pressure and build a strong core and back.

4. Relaxation: For some people a regular practice of meditation, deep breathing, Feldenkrais or yoga serves as a way of relaxing the body and the mind.

Love, Health & Happiness,

Phyllis

Sweet Dreams

05 Tuesday Jun 2012

Posted by creatingahealthylifestyle in Healthy Body, Healthy Mind

≈ 4 Comments

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Anxiety, Elizabeth Gilberg, Happiness, Happiness Journal, Healthy Body, Healthy Mind, Journal, Present Moment, restful night, Sleep, Sleep Deprivation, Surrender, Sweet Dreams, visual person, Visualization, Worries

Sleep deprivation seems to be the latest chronic condition. Yes, there are a lot of things that may keep us up at night, and when you think about it, we can only tend to things in the present moment of our waking life. With that said, here are some suggestions that may help you get a better night sleep.

1. To put your thoughts and worries to rest, take a few minutes before bed and write them down. While you are at it, write down what ever is on your mind. I’d also suggest you write a “to do” list for the next day. All those things will be waiting for you when you wake up, so no need to visit them during the night.

2. Next, just before turning off the light, write 3 -5 of your happiest moments of the day in a journal or notebook. This shifts your mind to pleasant things prior to drifting off to sleep.

3. Turn out the light and surrender to a restful night sleep. Know that there is nowhere you need to go and nothing you need to do. The next, roughly 6-8 hours, are yours to sleep and allow your body to rest and rejuvenate. If you are a visual person, you can visualize yourself sleeping peacefully, like the puppy above holding a favorite stuffed animal, or as Elizabeth Gilbert, in Eat, Pray, Love experienced, “being in the palm of God’s hand.”

May you have sweet dreams tonight!

Love, Health & Happiness,

Phyllis